Archaeological Assessment for the Proposed Conductorand Rod Facility by Midal Cables International Pty Ltd at Tomago Nsw
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INSITE HERITAGE PO BOX 98 WANGI WANGI NSW 2267 02 49755818 ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED CONDUCTORAND ROD FACILITY BY MIDAL CABLES INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD AT TOMAGO NSW Report to GHD Pty Ltd Date 1st July 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... 2 List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER 1 – PROJECT OVERVIEW .............................................................................. 4 1.1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Community Consultation ........................................................................................... 4 1.3 Proposed Development .............................................................................................. 5 1.4 Author Identification ................................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER 2 – Background ................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Environment .............................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Archaeological Context ............................................................................................ 8 2.3 AHIMS results and Model of ..................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 3 – Survey Information ......................................................................................11 3.1 Survey Objective and Strategy ..................................................................................11 3.2 Survey Coverage .......................................................................................................11 3.3 Results ......................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 4 – Analysis and Management Recommendations ..........................................16 4.1 Relevent Legislation .................................................................................................16 4.2 Significance Criteria ................................................................................................16 4.3 Discussion.................................................................................................................17 4.4 Management Recommendations ...............................................................................17 Methodology for monitoring by the community ..................................................................18 Glossary ...................................................................................................................................19 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................22 Appendix A – Community Reports .......................................................................................23 2 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 The red square denotes the approx position of the study area. Source Roy et al 1995 ...................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2 Study area located primarily on disturbed land within Tea Gardens variant A–( Mattei 1995) ............................................................................................ 7 Figure 3 The broader area showing Moffats, Grahamstown and Racecourse Swamps. source Thom et al.1992 ......................................................................... 8 Figure 4 AHIMS sites plotted on 1:25,000 topographic map Beresfield. 10 Figure 5 Survey Units 1 & 2 ................................................. 12 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 AHIMS recorded sites (see Figure 1) ....................... 9 Table 2 Survey Details ............................................................ 13 3 CHAPTER 1 – PROJECT OVERVIEW 1.1 SUMMARY Insite Heritage Pty Ltd were commissioned by GHD Pty Ltd on behalf of Midal Cables International Pty Ltd to prepare a cultural heritage assessment of a proposed conductor rod facility at Tomago NSW. Midal Cables International Pty Ltd (Midal) propose to construct a aluminium rod and conductor facility adjacent to Tomago Aluminium Smelter, Port Stephens. The 2.8 ha site is generally disturbed, having been sand mined historically and is currently occupied by vacant industrial sheds. An access road is also proposed to connect the facility with Tomago Aluminium, which traverses 150 m of vegetation regrowth. The site is shown in Figures 1 & 2. The aim of the assessment is to identify and asses the impact on Aboriginal archaeological relics within the footprint of the development and to consult with the Aboriginal community regarding the cultural significance of the project area. The project will be assessed under Part 3A of the EP&A Act. As the project is a new proposal there will not be any requirement for permits under the NPW Act 1974. The cultural heritage assessment was carried by Candice Anderson of Mur-Roo Ma and Christopher Collison of Nu- Run Gee Pty Ltd, and Paul Roberts representative of Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council (WLALC), Elizabeth Wyatt and Angela Besant of Insite Heritage. No artefacts were located during the survey where a portion of the site was heavily disturbed, another portion had quite high effective surface visibility due to a recent fire and the remaining area which had very low surface visibility. The consultation that occurred on the site at the time of the field work, indicated that the community as represented did not identify any specific cultural values that would be a constraint upon develop and requested monitoring of the earthworks on the site. 1.2 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION In order to identify potential cultural knowledge holders relevant to the study area by following the DECC 2005 consultation guidelines as per the Director Generals Requirements. Letters requesting the contact details of potential stakeholders were sent to: DECCW Native Title Services Office of the Registrar Port Stephens Council Worimi LALC The project was advertised in the Newcastle Herald on the 13th September 2010. Project notifications and invitations to registers as stakeholders were sent to all those on the list supplied by DECCW; Mrs Viola Brown, Nur-Run-Gee Pty Ltd, Mur Roo Ma, Worimi Aboriginal Traditional Elders and Owners Group Inc and Mrs Carol Ridgeway-Bisset of Maaiangal Aboriginal Heritage. Responses were received from Nur-Run-Gee and Mur-Roo-Ma. Cacatua Cultural Consultants also registered as a result of the advertisement. The site inspection was then undertaken by Worimi LALC, Nur-Run-Gee Pty Ltd and Mur-Roo-Ma Inc and the draft report supplied to all stakeholders for comment. No issues were raised by the draft report reviews and the community comments can be seen in full in Appendix A. 4 1.3 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT The proposed development is an aluminium rod and conductor facility utilising molten aluminium from the Tomago Aluminium Smelter via a direct haul road. The property comprises Lots 5 and 6 DP 270328 and has area of 2.8 ha. The site is zoned 4(a) Industrial – General under Port Stephens Local Environmental Plan 2000 and is located in the Tomago Industrial Area. The site is located in the Tomago Aluminium Corporation Buffer Zone which acts as an environmental management zone designed to reduce land uses that are incompatible with the smelter. Access to the site is via School Drive and the development will utilise existing gravel roads and an additional haul road to be constructed to link the site with the smelter. The haul road will be located on Tomago Aluminium Company land and maintained by Midal. The proposal will comprise the following key features: 1. The haul road from the smelter to the north and the proposed facility approximately 150 m long for transporting the molten aluminium. 2. A building 98 m by 38m and 8 m high to house the gas fired furnace and rolling mill for the manufacture of the aluminium rod, associated gas fired furnace and rolling mill control rooms and undercover rod storage. 3. Cooling towers and infrastructure associated with the gas fired furnace and rolling mill. 4. A building 124m by 46m and 8m high holding the wire drawing machines, stranding machines and associated facilities. 5. Laboratories and administration buildings. 6. Stores building, electrical and mechanical workshops,. 7. Hardstand movement, loading areas, and car parking. 8. Detention and nutrient control facilities associated with extensive water recycling facilities to maximise water reuse in the manufacturing process. 9. On site sewage treatment plan 10. All required utility upgrades and connections. 11. Potential minor upgrade of the private road servicing the Community Title subdivision of which the study area forms a part. The facility is proposed to operate 24 hours a day, seven day s a week with a total workforce of 119 persons. The manufacturing activities within the facility are the formation of aluminium rod in building no. 1 and aluminium wire and aluminium conductors in Building no 2 (Figure 3). The facility will produce 50,000 tonnes of aluminium